?By most standards, Kirby Smart of Georgia is recognized as one of the finest coaches in contemporary college football, arguably the best after the retirement of his mentor, Nick Saban, last year.

However, there seems to be some gaps in his understanding of the game’s rules.

After Georgia faced a 23-10 defeat against Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday, knocking the Bulldogs out of the quarterfinals for the College Football Playoff, Smart voiced his disapproval about a pivotal moment in the match.

On a fourth-and-1 play, with Notre Dame leading by 13 points and just 7:47 left on the clock, they initially set up to punt but then switched out all 11 players for their offense. Georgia reacted by sending their defense back on the field, but shortly after, they were penalized for jumping offsides. This mistake handed Notre Dame a new set of downs and allowed them to run down the clock further.

During the post-game press conference, Smart expressed his concerns regarding the incident.

“It’s quite unfortunate because our head officials in the SEC informed me that it’s not allowed to swap 11 players in and out,” Smart remarked. “We practiced this strategy in 2017 against Tennessee as we had been advised by officials that that tactic was not permitted.”

Despite varying rules across different leagues, Smart has been operating under a misconception for years. What Notre Dame did is not illegal.

The 2024 NCAA football rulebook clearly states that “any number of legal players from either team may substitute between periods, after scoring, or during intervals between plays solely for the purpose of replacing a player or filling a vacant position.”

There are specific guidelines, including that substitutions are not to occur while the play is active, and each player must enter from their team’s designated area. Furthermore, referees are not permitted to allow the ball to be snapped while one team is making substitutions, ensuring that the opposing team has the opportunity to do the same — something the officials in the Sugar Bowl enforced for Georgia.

To add further embarrassment for the multi-time national champion coach, his remarks gained attention on social media, accompanied by a community note, which is generally used to counter misleading claims and conspiracy theories.

The Bulldogs’ defeat against Notre Dame concluded their season with an 11-3 record, marking their first season with more than two losses since 2018.

Conversely, the Fighting Irish advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals and will challenge Penn State in the Orange Bowl on January 9.